Duncan Wardle, Hons. MBA, Hons. Doctorate

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Business as Unusual: A Recipe for Surviving and Thriving in Our Whole New World

The unprecedented chaos that surrounds us will bring drastic changes to business. Industries that have already been in slow decline will see their declines accelerate when they find no one gets to go back to business as usual. Mix in the fact that people are hurting, employees are scared and we could all do with a dose of inspiration. Add one beautiful silver lining — that we all have more time to think than ever, admonishing the No. 1 barrier to innovation. Wardle combines all those ingredients and explains how to reinvent the way you do business. He will help you create a whole new tool kit that makes innovation easy, creativity tangible and the process fun, pushing your team to reimagine your way to business as “unusual.”

As head of innovation and creativity at Disney, Duncan Wardle and his team helped Imagineering, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar and Disney Parks to innovate, creating magical new storylines and experiences for consumers around the globe. As founder of iD8 and innov8, he now brings his extensive Disney experience to audiences around the world using a unique approach to design thinking. Delivering a series of keynotes, workshops and ideation forums, his unique design thinking process helps companies embed a culture of innovation into everyone’s DNA. Wardle is a multiple Ted X speaker and contributor to Fast Company magazine. In 2008 he received the American Citizen of Choice Award at the White House. He holds an Hons MBA and Hons Doctorate from Edinburgh Napier University and is a recipient of the Duke Of Edinburgh Award, presented by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.